Six planets will parade across the sky this weekend in a rare celestial spectacle.
For the next few days, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, Neptune and Uranus will all be visible at the same time in the night sky – although binoculars or a telescope will be needed to spot the latter two planets.
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium recommends heading outside 30-60 minutes after sunset, which is around 7pm.
Facing into the west to southwest sky you will see, in order from the horizon, Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus, which is visible with a telescope below the beautiful Pleiades star cluster.
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Jupiter will outshine all the stars in the sky and will be clearly visible throughout the night.
Dr Megan Argo, reader in astrophysics at the University of Lancashire, said seeing so many planets in the sky at the same time was a rare phenomenon.
“We’re seeing this alignment now because the planets’ orbits have brought them into roughly the same area of the sky from our perspective on Earth. Since each planet circles the sun at a different speed, they constantly shift position against the backdrop of stars. Only occasionally do their paths line up in a way that places several of them together in our night sky,” she said.
“While it’s fairly common to spot four or five planets at the same time, seeing six is much rarer. All seven were visible together last year, but the next full line-up won’t occur again until 2040.”
Argo said that on Saturday, and for a few days after, all six planets will be visible, but that Mercury will be harder to spot, although Jupiter and Venus would be easily visible for months.
